Editorial: Making her pitch for baseball history

(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)Justine Siegal, right, laughs with Cleveland Indians general manager Chris Antonetti after throwing batting practice to catchers during baseball spring training Monday, Feb. 21, 2011, in Goodyear, Ariz. Siegal became the first woman to pitch batting practice at a Major League camp.

A longtime baseball fantasy came true for Springfield College doctoral candidate and inveterate "girl of summer" Justine Siegal on Monday when she stepped onto the mound at the Cleveland Indians spring training camp in Arizona.

With her 13-year-old daughter Jasmine watching, Siegal, 36, became the first woman to pitch batting practice in a major league spring training camp - and her joy at reaching her goal was evident. "This is my biggest day in baseball so far," she said. "This is the greatest game on earth."

The Springfield resident, who began playing baseball at the age of 5 and grew up in Cleveland rooting for the Indians, has already broken gender barriers in the sport she loves. She coached at the professional and college levels, including a stint as an assistant baseball coach at Springfield College from 2007-2010.

Siegal, who is working on her doctorate in sport and exercise psychology, was also the first woman to coach first base in men's professional baseball for the independent Brockton Rox team in 2009.

She is also founder and executive director of Baseball For All, which is dedicated to providing opportunities for girls and women to become involved in baseball.

We congratulate Siegal, who received a thumbs up from Cleveland players and coaches, and admire her passion for baseball - and her work to make the game accessible to all.

Siegal approached major league general managers during winter meetings in Florida, to make her pitch. Most took a pass.

So we congratulate major league General Managers Chris Antonetti of the Indians - and Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics who gave Siegal a second chance on the mound on Wednesday - for giving her a shot at baseball history.